Outdoors

ATV riders urged to avoid mud

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Conservation says all-terrain trails are starting to open, but many trails are still too muddy for riding.

Officials warned ATV operators that they shouldn’t ride on any trail until it’s completely dry, and mud season signs have been removed.

The 85-mile-long Down East Sunrise Trail through Hancock and Washington counties opened over the weekend, and most trails will be open by Memorial Day.

Maine has about 6,200 miles of ATV trails, 95 percent of them on private land. The Bureau of Public Lands says ATV riding is increasing and the state wants to encourage it because of the positive impact of tourism on Maine’s economy.